Shoe-cleaning appliance



March 14, 1967 K. STIEGER 3,308,499

SHOE-CLEANING APPLIANCE Filed Jan. 22, 1965 2 I I a 4 I II f |""T I l l .l L r r 1", 1 "l H w; L T- E i T "T Karl S-fieger IN VEN TOR.

AGENT.

United States Patent Ofifice 3,308,499 SHOE-CLEANING APPLIANCE Karl Stieger, Toggenburgerstrasse 33, Flawil, Saint Gall, Switzerland Filed Jan. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 427,343 Claims priority, application Switzerland, Jan. 29, 1964,

4 Claims. (Cl. 15-36) This invention relates to a shoe-cleaning appliance having a grate and motor-driven brushes which are movable between the bars of the grate and project partially beyond the grate surface.

Mechanical shoe wipers of the type, in which motor driven endless flexible belts furnished with bristles circulate between the bars of the grate, are already known. The shoe-cleaning appliance acording to the invention is distinguished from those known heretofore in that, of the endless flexible belts furnished with bristles and running over two solids of revolution, those belts which are adjacent to each other are driven in opposite directions to each other.

In contradistinction to the design according to the invention, in said prior-art mechanical shoe wipers all brush belts move in the same direction, which is detrimental in so far as running belts tend to impart their movement to the foot placed thereon, especially if there is any hesitation and the foot is only lightly set on the wiped. It is conceivable that the person placing his foot on the shoe wiper will then be thrown oflf balance or even caused to fall, and in any case he or she will avoid such shoe wipersin future.

Mechanical shoe wipers have actually been proposed in which the brushes adjacent to each other move to and fro in opposite directions to each other. In contrast to the invention, however, the brushes are not designed as endless flexible belts and they do not rotate continuously, but are moved back and forth by swinging or oscillating shafts.

In these shoe wipers the drawbacks of the firstmentioned wipers do not occur, but instead the wipers have the disadvantage that the bristles wear unevenly, being worn down more in the areas of the mats that are more frequently trodden on, and in other areas less, as for instance in the marginal zones, since, as experience shows, users tend to step as close to the middle of the mat as possible.

The accompanying drawing shows by way of example an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a vertical section of the appliance of the present invention taken along the line II of FIG. 3;

FIG. 2 is an axial section of one of the drums taken along the line IIII of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 3 is a top view of the appliance.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, numerals 33 and 34 designate two drum-type solids of revolution mounted on axles 35 and 36. These drums extend over the whole length T (FIG. 3) of the appliance. The peripheral surfaces of the drums are provided alternately with belt beds 37 and runner faces 38 for the slide rings 39, the belt beds and slide rings of said two drums being so arranged with respect to each other that each belt 37 of the one drum 33 lies opposite a slide ring 39 of the 3,338,499 Patented Mar. 14, 1967 other drum 34. In the form shown the belt beds are formed by grooves 37 which widen outwards and serve for taking endless flexible V-belts 40 which are furnished on the outside with synthetic bristles anchored therein, for instance nylon bristles 41. In the disclosed arrangement, each belt 40 runs at one end on a belt 37 of one drum and at the other end over a slide ring 39 of the opposite drum.

Each of the drums 33 and 34 has arranged therein a driving motor, for instance an electric motor 42 or 43 with gear-in-g 44 or 45 respectively, through which the drums 33 and 34 are driven. In the form shown, the armatures of the motors are mounted on the stationary axles 35 and 36, while the motor casings rotate. The axles 3'5 and 36 are vertically adjustable in lateral guide supports 46 and 47, thus permitting the drums to be set higher when the bristles 41 are worn, so that the bristles project sufficiently beyond the grate bars 48. Numeral 49 denotes an angle-iron frame which fits into the top of the pit taking the drums, while numerals 50 and 51 designate the cover plates lying on the one hand on the angle-iron frame 49 and on the other hand on the grate bars 48.

In the system shown according to FIGS. 13 both the seatings 38 for the slide rings 39 and the belt beds 3'7 are formed by grooves recessed into the drums, the slide rings being designed in two parts. It would also be possible to have the belt beds arranged in special pulley rims and to push the latter together with the slide rings onto the outwardly smooth drums, and then to pin or screw the pulley rims to the drums, while the slide rings are free to move or rotate on the drums between the pulley rims.

What I claim is:

1. In a shoe-cleaning appliance having a grate formed by an array of parallel transversely spaced bars defining a treading surface, roller means extending axially at opposite ends of the bars of said array substantially the full length thereof transversely to said bars and therebelow, drive means for rotating said rolier means, and a plurality of endless brushes passing around said roller means and displaceab-le thereby while extending between the bars of said array and having bristles projecting upwardly beyond said surface, the improvement wherein:

(a) each of said roller means comprises a rotatable hollow drum provided with axially spaced circumferential belt beds each receiving one of said brushes for entraining same upon rotation of said drums, the beds of said drums being axially staggered with respect to one another, each of said drums further comprising slide rings disposed between the respective circumferential beds and rotatable relatively to the respective drum while carrying a respective br-ush entrained by one of the beds of the other drum whereby alternate ones of said brushes are frictionally entrained by and slipped with respect to each of the drums, said drums being closed at their extremities; and

(b) said drive means includes a respective drive motor received within each of said hollow drums, and transmission means coupled with each of said motors for rotating the respective drum.

2. The improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said References Cited by the Examiner brushes each comprise a respective V-belt of generally UNITED STATES PATENTS trapezoidal configuration With bristles extending from I the broad base of the trapezoid, said beds being out- 823,972 6/1906 Rlchardson 15-36 Wardly Widening grooves. 5 1,019,769 3/1912 Dalton 1 3, The improvement defined in claim 1, further com- 3,048,867 8/1962 Counts 15 36 prising means for adjusting the distances between the axis 3,065,481 11/1962 Peterson 15*183 of said drums and said surface. 3:139:975 7/ 1964 schaefer- 4. The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein said drums are provided with annular grooves slidaoly re- 10 CHARLES WILLMUTH Pnmary Examine"- ceivin-g said rings. S. E. BECK, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A SHOE-CLEANING APPLIANCE HAVING A GRATE FORMED BY AN ARRAY OF PARALLEL TRANSVERSELY SPACED BARS DEFINING A TREADING SURFACE, ROLLER MEANS EXTENDING AXIALLY AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE BARS OF SAID ARRAY SUBSTANTIALLY THE FULL LENGTH THEREOF TRANSVERSELY TO SAID BARS AND THEREBELOW, DRIVE MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID ROLLER MEANS, AND A PLURALITY OF ENDLESS BRUSHES PASSING AROUND SAID ROLLER MEANS AND DISPLACEABLE THEREBY WHILE EXTENDING BETWEEN THE BARS OF SAID ARRAY AND HAVING BRISTLES PROJECTING UPWARDLY BEYOND SAID SURFACE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHEREIN: (A) EACH OF SAID ROLLER MEANS COMPRISES A ROTATABLE HOLLOW DRUM PROVIDED WITH AXIALLY SPACED CIRCUMFERENTIAL BELT BEDS EACH RECEIVING ONE OF SAID BRUSHES FOR ENTRAINING SAME UPON ROTATION OF SAID DRUMS, THE BEDS OF SAID DRUMS BEING AXIALLY STAGGERED WITH RESPECT TO ONE ANOTHER, EACH OF SAID DRUMS FURTHER COMPRISING SLIDE RINGS DISPOSED BETWEEN THE RESPECTIVE CIRCUMFERENTIAL BEDS AND ROTATABLE RELATIVELY TO THE RESPECTIVE DRUM WHILE CARRYING A RESPECTIVE BRUSH ENTRAINED BY ONE OF THE BEDS OF THE OTHER DRUM WHEREBY ALTERNATE ONES OF SAID BRUSHES ARE FRICTIONALLY ENTRAINED BY AND SLIPPED WITH RESPECT TO EACH OF THE DRUMS, SAID DRUMS BEING CLOSED AT THEIR EXTREMITIES; AND (B) SAID DRIVE MEANS INCLUDES A RESPECTIVE DRIVE MOTOR RECEIVED WITHIN EACH OF SAID HOLLOW DRUMS, AND TRANSMISSION MEANS COUPLED WITH EACH OF SAID MOTORS FOR ROTATING THE RESPECTIVE DRUM. 